Poll: 33 percent of Britons want to leave

LONDON, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- While millions of people around the world would like to move to Britain, one-third of British residents would like to leave, a poll released Tuesday indicated.

The Gallup Organization reported that 33 percent of Britons asked said they would like to emigrate, with Australia, Spain, the United States and Canada the favored destinations. But only 2 percent of the would-be emigres said they actually plan on moving in the next year.

That paradox means Britain and Romania have the highest percentage in the European Union of residents dreaming about leaving their country of residence, but a number of countries have a bigger share of residents than Britain planning to act on the wish.

Gallup found that those who would like to emigrate tend to be better educated. They are also more likely to be unhappy with their local community, talking about problems with everything from schools to roads, and to have less trust in local officials and police.

Gallup conducted an international survey between May and August 2010. In Britain, about 1,000 adults were interviewed on the telephone and in person, and the survey's margin of error was 3.7 percent.